By Samira Anderson
Timber Creek Regional High School
When he was on the hunt for a new job 13 years ago, Kevin Slaughter didn’t want to be a basketball coach, and definitely not for a girls team. The opportunity won him over, he said, because he “loved the competition.”
Now, just over a decade later, he’s built a championship team two years in a row at Universal Audenried Charter High School.
Audenried, in South Philadelphia, has 543 students and seven sports teams. The 15-person girls basketball team faced off against basketball powerhouse Imhotep Charter High School on February 24.
Imhotep had won seven championship titles in the 10 years leading to its finals matchup with Audenreid in 2023. This year’s championship was a rematch, and Audenried again walked away as champions.
“Freshman year, we were 0-18 against Impotep, but we changed the narrative,” sophomore Aniyah Cheeseboro said. “We couldn’t have done it without Coach Slaughter.”
Slaughter has been coaching girls basketball for 13 years, including 11 with Audenried. His first two years were at Universal Vare Charter School, for grades 5 through 8.
That began in 2011, when Slaughter returned home after a three-year prison sentence for drug charges. He was looking to re-enter the workforce after making a mistake, he said, and found a job at Universal Vare on the climate staff.
He learned during the interview that the school was looking for a basketball coach as well. But “I never wanted to coach anything,” Slaughter said.
The actual coaching came on gradually. First, he just sat in on a few practices to see the students play. Then, he jumped in to teach skills here and there.
When the girls started picking up those skills and playing other schools, he felt the thrill of competition — and he liked it. After two years at the middle school, Slaughter was hired at Audenried, and a few of the Universal Vare girls joined his new high school team.
Some of the athletes on Audenried’s two championship teams have known Slaughter for years. The coach also has run a summer camp, South Philly Urban Youth Camp, since 2012, so that players of various ages can work on their skills during the off-season.
Slaughter is “always going to be family,” said senior Aniyah Howard. “He helped me all around develop as a young lady and a player.”
Even with two championships, Slaughter said, he’s most proud to be “helping young Black girls.” That’s the legacy he wants to be known for.
He’s seen four of his players go on to NCAA Division 1 teams, and six to Division 2 teams.
Even his youngest student players have seen how their basketball experience will stick with them well beyond their school years.
“Coach Slaughter has taught me not to give up — like if I mess up on offense, I have to get back on defense. There are other plays that will have an impact,” said freshman Rahkia Bundy.
Later on in life, Bundy said, “If I don’t get the job I am looking for, there are other jobs, so I have to keep going and not give up.”